Eighth Is Enough for Best in Area at West Regional : Cross-Country: Arce, Hernandez and other top runners try to qualify for national championships.

All season long, the No. 1 goal for cross-country runners such as Eleazar Hernandez of Camarillo, Antonio Arce of Palmdale, Amy Skieresz of Agoura and Kim Mortensen of Thousand Oaks has been to win whatever race they were competing in.

But simply finishing among the top eight will be today’s No. 1 goal in the Foot Locker West regional at Woodward Park in Fresno.

The top eight runners in each race will advance to next week’s national championships at Balboa Park in San Diego.

Hernandez, runner-up in the Division I race of last week’s State championships at Woodward Park, and Arce, the State Division II champion, head the list of local entries in the boys’ race.

Jeff Fischer of Thousand Oaks, third in the State Division I final, and Keith O’Doherty (sixth), Agoura’s John Greene (third in Division II) and Nordhoff’s Javier Ramirez (second in Division III) could also contend for top-10 finishes, although they are regarded as long shots to qualify for nationals.

Brett Strahan of Hart is another top-10 contender if he’s healthy. Strahan was regarded as a potential national finalist during the first half of the season, but a sinus infection dropped him to 11th place in the State Division I final.

“I think he is capable of finishing in the top three with a good race,” Camarillo Coach Mike Smith said of Hernandez. “But the main thing is to finish in the top eight and qualify for next week.”

Arce, 23rd in the West regional as a junior, echoed Smith’s sentiments after the State final.

“I could have gone to another gear or two (in the homestretch) today, but I wanted to save something for next week,” he said. “I hope to make it to nationals.”

Brandon Leslie of Gallup (N.M.) High, Micah Davis of Mead High in Spokane, Wash., and Jason Balkman of Lynbrook High in San Jose are tabbed as potential winners.

Leslie finished fifth in last year’s regional, Davis was eighth and Balkman, who turned back Hernandez for the State Division I title, placed 15th.

The race for first in the girls’ meet is not expected to be close.

Santa Rosa sophomore Julia Stamps is undefeated and has set a slew of course records, including a 16:58 clocking in the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational in October and a 17:06 effort in the State Division I final.

Melissa Lucas of Jesuit High in Beaverton, Ore., won last year’s regional as a junior in a then-course record of 17:08.9, but leg injuries sidelined her this season.

Skieresz, runner-up in the 1992 West regional as a sophomore, freshman Elaine Canchola of Nordhoff and Mortensen all appear capable of qualifying.

Skieresz won the State Division II title last week, Canchola finished second in the Division III race and Mortensen was fourth in Division I.

Mortensen finished ninth in last year’s State final before placing 10th in the West regional.

Today’s meet, which consists of 11 races, starts at 9 a.m. with the freshman boys’ race.

The seeded girls’ race is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. with the seeded boys’ starting at 2.